: AQA past-paper questions pack

Processes within schools: labelling, subcultures and the hidden curriculum

Past-paper questions pack

Name
Class
Date set
Date due
Score	/ 304

Questions are numbered; the mark schemes (the answer key) follow on separate pages so the question pages can be handed out alone. www.alevelsociologytutor.com

AQA AQA AS and A-level Sociology past-paper questions since 2016 · 29 parts · mark schemes follow the questions · www.alevelsociologytutor.com · Questions and mark schemes © AQA

1. June 2025 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how pupil subcultures may form in schools.
[2 marks]

2. June 2025 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Teachers may have different expectations of some groups of pupils compared to
others. Pupils may form subcultures with peers who share similar values.
Relationships and processes within schools may lead to gender differences in
achievement.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which relationships and processes
within schools may lead to gender differences in educational achievement.
[10 marks]

3. June 2024 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how a factor internal to schools may affect ethnic
differences in educational achievement.
[2 marks]

4. June 2024 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Pupils may be able to choose what subjects to study at GCSE and beyond. Pupils can
express their identities in a variety of ways, some of which may lead to conflict.
Girls may experience problems as a result of relationships and processes in schools.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two problems girls may experience as a result of
relationships and processes in schools.
[10 marks]

5. June 2023 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how streaming may affect pupil achievement in
schools.
[2 marks]

6. June 2023 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Throughout their schooling pupils are told that everyone has the same opportunity to
succeed. Schools prepare pupils for the workplace.
Sociologists suggest that the hidden curriculum may help to reproduce the social class
structure.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways that the hidden curriculum may help to
reproduce the social class structure.
[10 marks]

7. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q1 · 4 marks · AO1=4

Education
0 1
Outline two ways in which schools may promote competition between pupils.
[4 marks]

8. June 2022 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how schools can be seen to prepare pupils for the
world of work.
[2 marks]

9. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 2
Outline three ways in which the education system may be seen as patriarchal.
[6 marks]

10. June 2022 · AS Paper 1 · Q3 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 3
Outline three criticisms that can be made of teacher labelling as an explanation of
differences in pupil achievement.
[6 marks]

11. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Teachers may label and treat some groups of pupils differently from others. Schools and
staff will have views about appropriate pupil behaviour and attitudes to school.
Relationships and processes within schools may lead to anti-school subcultures.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which relationships and processes
within schools may lead to anti-school subcultures.
[10 marks]

12. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 2
Outline three reasons why some working-class boys join anti-school subcultures.
[6 marks]

13. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Some sociologists claim that the curriculum taught in schools today prioritises some
cultures over others. Research also suggests that teacher expectations can be based
on stereotypes.
Teaching and learning in schools may affect the educational experiences of minority
ethnic groups.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which teaching and learning in
schools may affect the educational experiences of minority ethnic groups.
[10 marks]

14. November 2020 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how schools might respond to increased diversity
caused by patterns of migration.
[2 marks]

15. November 2020 · AS Paper 1 · Q4 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2

0 4
Outline and explain two ways in which teacher-pupil interactions may affect the
educational achievement of pupils from minority ethnic groups.
[10 marks]

16. November 2020 · Paper 1 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9

0 4
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
The patterns of educational achievement by gender have changed over time. Some
sociologists explain these patterns through factors external to schools, such as
socialisation and parental attitudes towards education. Changes in wider society, such
as employment opportunities, may also contribute to these patterns.
However, the way schools are organised and the social interactions that take place
within schools are also likely to affect gender differences in educational achievement.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of
gender differences in educational achievement.
[30 marks]
Extra space

17. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 2
Outline three ways in which the characteristics of schools may be similar to the
characteristics of workplaces.
[6 marks]

18. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
Some sociologists suggest that pupils of different social classes have different
experiences in schools. The curriculum may place a higher value on middle-class
cultural capital and place some pupils at a disadvantage. Both teacher-pupil
relationships and interactions within peer groups are likely to affect how pupils of
different social classes see themselves.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two ways in which processes within schools may
affect pupils’ identities.
[10 marks]

19. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9

0 4
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
All levels of the education system show differences in achievement between ethnic
groups. When explaining these patterns, some sociologists focus on the role of the
home and family life in promoting educational achievement for some ethnic groups.
However, other sociologists suggest that factors within schools are more important in
explaining differences in achievement between ethnic groups.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of
differences in educational achievement between ethnic groups.
[30 marks]
Extra space

20. June 2019 · AS Paper 1 · Q5 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6

0 5
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
At all stages of school life, there are social class differences in achievement. Some
sociologists see in-school factors, such as labelling, as the main cause of these
differences. A child’s social class may influence how they experience school and how
they are viewed by the school.
as material and cultural differences in the home, may be more important.
Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate the view that labelling and
other in-school factors are the main cause of social class differences in educational
achievement.
[20 marks]
Extra space

21. June 2018 · AS Paper 1 · Q2 · 2 marks · AO2=2

0 2
Using one example, briefly explain how boys’ behaviour in school may make it difficult for
them to do well in the education system.
[2 marks]

22. June 2018 · AS Paper 1 · Q4 · 10 marks · AO1=5,AO2=3,AO3=2

0 4
Outline and explain two ways in which social class may affect subject choice.
[10 marks]

23. June 2018 · Paper 1 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9

0 4
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
Social class differences in achievement are found at all stages of the education system
and sociologists have put forward several explanations for these differences. Some
sociologists focus on factors outside school, such as the material circumstances of
pupils’ families or the ways in which parents socialise their children. Other sociologists
see factors internal to the education system itself as responsible.
However, it can be argued that it is the interaction between these external and internal
factors that produces class differences in educational achievement.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of
social class differences in educational achievement.
[30 marks]
Extra space

24. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q1 · 2 marks · AO1=2

Education
0 1
Define the term ‘hidden curriculum’.
[2 marks]

25. June 2017 · Paper 1 · Q2 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 2
Outline three ways in which factors within schools may shape gender differences in
subject choice.
[6 marks]

26. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q3 · 6 marks · AO1=3,AO2=3

0 3
Outline three ways in which school may mirror work in capitalist society.
[6 marks]

27. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q5 · 20 marks · AO1=8,AO2=6,AO3=6

0 5
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
When children start school, girls are already ahead of boys. This trend continues
throughout school life, including at GCSE and A-level.
Some sociologists see factors within schools as the main cause of gender differences
in educational achievement. One such factor is the increasing number of female head
teachers in both primary and secondary schools.
Other sociologists suggest that out-of-school factors may have a greater impact on
gender differences in achievement, such as men and women’s changing positions in
society.
Applying material from Item A and your knowledge, evaluate the view that gender
differences in educational achievement are the result of factors within schools.
[20 marks]
Extra space

28. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q3 · 10 marks · AO1=3,AO2=4,AO3=3

0 3
Read Item A below and answer the question that follows.
Item A
On average, pupils from some ethnic groups achieve more highly at school than
others. For example, Chinese and Indian pupils generally out-perform white pupils
at GCSE. This is even true when we take into account whether pupils are from
deprived backgrounds, as measured by whether they receive free school meals
(FSM). For example, Chinese pupils on FSM do better than white pupils who are
not on FSM.
Applying material from Item A, analyse two reasons why pupils from some minority
ethnic groups achieve above average results in school.
[10 marks]

29. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q4 · 30 marks · AO1=12,AO2=9,AO3=9

0 4
Read Item B below and answer the question that follows.
Item B
At each stage from pre-school through to university entrance, girls tend to do better
than boys. For example, on entering primary school, girls are more likely to be
able to write their own name. On the other hand, boys are more likely than girls to
be assessed by their schools as having special educational needs.
When it comes to subject choice at age 16, there are major gender differences in
the popularity of different A-level subjects and even greater gender differences in
vocational courses.
Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate the view that gender
differences in both subject choice and educational achievement are mainly the result
of the influence of wider society.
[30 marks]
Extra space

Mark schemes

1. June 2025 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

2. June 2025 · Paper 1 · Q3

3. June 2024 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

4. June 2024 · Paper 1 · Q3

5. June 2023 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

6. June 2023 · Paper 1 · Q3

7. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q1

8. June 2022 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

9. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q2

10. June 2022 · AS Paper 1 · Q3

11. June 2022 · Paper 1 · Q3

12. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q2

13. November 2021 · Paper 1 · Q3

14. November 2020 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

15. November 2020 · AS Paper 1 · Q4

16. November 2020 · Paper 1 · Q4

17. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q2

18. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q3

19. June 2019 · Paper 1 · Q4

20. June 2019 · AS Paper 1 · Q5

21. June 2018 · AS Paper 1 · Q2

22. June 2018 · AS Paper 1 · Q4

23. June 2018 · Paper 1 · Q4

24. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q1

25. June 2017 · Paper 1 · Q2

26. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q3

27. June 2017 · AS Paper 1 · Q5

28. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q3

29. Specimen set 1 · Paper 1 · Q4